


Sticks and Stones they may Break these Bones but then I’ll be Ready (are you Ready?)

by Laisaxrem



Series: This is Us (english version) [24]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Godaime Tsunade - Freeform, Short One Shot, the title is longer than the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28936026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laisaxrem/pseuds/Laisaxrem
Summary: He waited a moment as Tsunade took a second sip of sake. And then the woman dropped the bomb.«In March you will be the Rokudaime Hokage».
Series: This is Us (english version) [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976788
Kudos: 10





	Sticks and Stones they may Break these Bones but then I’ll be Ready (are you Ready?)

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Sticks and Stones they may Break these Bones but then I’ll be Ready (are you Ready?)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28935243) by [Laisaxrem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laisaxrem/pseuds/Laisaxrem). 



> DATE: Thursday, 12th December 1679  
> TITLE: What About Us? - Pink

Kakashi was late.

He had been late for a good part of his life, always lost in his thoughts and stories in front of the graves of Minato-sensei, Rin and above all Obito. But with the War, after discovering that Obito not only survived the collapse of the cave on that disastrous first mission as a jōnin, but he was also the enemy who had unleashed the Fourth Ninja War and who wanted to destroy their world, after seeing resurrecting his old sensei with Edo Tensei and losing them both again, after reliving the agony of Rin’s death at his hands, after all this Kakashi had stopped spending hours in front of the memorial. Not that he didn’t go there anymore, on the contrary. But that need to tell to an empty tomb what happened to him had diminished to the point of almost disappearing.

The thing scared him to death. So in the last few months he had spent a lot of time on training and took refuge more than ever in reading his favourite novels, often masked with the cover of _Icha Icha_ s. But above all he had maintained his habit of arriving late for appointments with friends, with his former students… or, as in this case, with the Godaime.

When finally, after a slow walk through the Village, Kakashi arrived in front of the door of the Hokage office, two ANBUs looked at him carefully for a couple of seconds and then moved a few centimetres from the door. A clear invitation. Apparently Tsunade was ready to receive him despite his hour and a half late.

He didn’t have time to fully open the door when a heavy bookend flew towards him. He grabbed it effortlessly.

«You’re late», the woman at the desk grumbled.

Tsunade had been the same for years. He remembered seeing her when he was just a child, before she had left the Village taking Shizune with her, and in all those years not a wrinkle had appeared on her face. Of course everyone knew the Byakugō technique and Kakashi had been one of the few who had saw her in her natural appearance when she was in a coma after Pain’s attack.

«Did you summon me, Tsunade-sama?» he asked her going to position himself in the centre of the room, the bookend in one hand while he dipped the other into the pocket of his uniform. It wasn’t exactly the behaviour a good shinobi would have in front of their Kage, but Kakashi had always had some problems with authority, especially since Minato-sensei had died.

«Sit down, drink with me», Tsunade invited him and Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

 _Ouch_.

Slowly, walking as he would have done to approach a wild animal, Kakashi approached the desk as Godaime removed a bottle of expensive sake and two decorated porcelain glasses from a drawer. Next to the desk there was a chair and the man sat down, keeping a safe distance and placing the bookend out of the Hokage’s reach. When Tsunade then leaned forward to hand him the glass, Kakashi took it and rattled it against hers, muttering a “kanpai”, but didn’t drink.

He waited a moment as Tsunade took a second sip of sake. And then the woman dropped the bomb.

«In March you will be the Rokudaime Hokage».

Kakashi barely held back a sigh.

It was the second time in less than a year that he had been offered the position of Hokage. It was the most prestigious role in the entire Village and dozens of ninjas had in their hearts the desire to wear a hat… too bad he was never among them.

«You’ve only been Hokage for four years», Kakashi began softly. «You still have a lot to give to the Village. You could –»

«If you’re going to say I could wait until Naruto is ready…» she interrupted him as she cradled the glass in her hand, the clear liquid catching the light of day. «… I’ll stop you immediately because there’s no way I’ll be locked up here waiting for that brat».

«It’s not what –»

«And many, too many iryō-nins died during the War», she continued, as if Kakashi hadn’t even opened his mouth. «The hospital, the whole system I created to have doctors in the missions, is in collapse. I need to rebuild what was destroyed or the Village might not survive the new clashes… and I can’t do it if I’m trapped in this room».

Kakashi sighed and finally allowed himself to take a sip of sake. He even left the rolled-up mask under his chin and allowed her to stare at him for a moment as he gathered his thoughts (not that Tsunade had never seen him face uncovered, really, but no matter how many times it happened, the woman was always staring at him for a few seconds when he lowered the mask).

«Don’t you think the peace will last?» he finally asked, the sweet taste of sake filling his mouth.

«I hope. I hope so with all my heart. But I’ve seen too many wars to trust peace, to trust human beings. There will always be someone unhappy. I want us to be ready when that day comes».

Obviously he understood her. It’s not that Kakashi didn’t have the same thoughts; after all, he too had seen his fair share of senseless wars, broken alliances and betrayals. Except that being in Naruto’s company showed him the good side of things, gave him confidence in the world and in people and perhaps he had forgotten a little of the cynicism that had helped him survive for thirty years in that world. In this Naruto was very similar to his father and when he was with him Kakashi felt catapulted to when he was just a kid basking in the warm light emanating from his sensei.

«And I’m tired, Kakashi», Tsunade continued with a sigh as she set her glass on the wood of the desk. And Kakashi saw it. A weariness that had been there since the beginning, ever since the woman became Godaime Hokage, which had subsided a bit when she started teaching Sakura, which had come back overbearing after Pain’s attack and which now seemed crush the amber of her eyes. «I should never have become Hokage. I’m not cut out for this. I only accepted because of the insistence of that idiot Naruto».

The words “ _and for Jiraiya_ ” remained unspoken but heavy as a boulder on their both chests.

«Can’t you hold out until he’s ready?» he asked faintly. But he already knew the answer; now that he had read it in her eyes he could not delude himself.

«You know as well as I do that there are several years to that day. I can’t be the Hokage for another ten years». And now the fatigue also showed in her voice. How the hell had he not realized this in the previous months? «We need someone to ferry us into this new era, someone who believes in peace, someone who drags souls».

«I never wanted to be Hokage, it’s not my dream».

«But it was Obito’s, and Minato’s», she replied, and this time there was a hint of sweetness to mix with the tiredness in her voice. «And you said yourself that Obito expressed his desire to see you Rokudaime».

Ah, damn it. He should never have told her about his last conversation with his old friend.

«I will hate every single moment», he asserted. Not a question.

«Probably».

And Kakashi reached out his arm holding the glass silently asking for more liquor. This time, when Tsunade provided, it was he who first raised it in a toast and quickly let it down his throat. Kakashi welcomed the slight sting with gratitude.

«Will you do it, then?»

«Do I have any other choice?»

Tsunade laughed a bit and sipped more sake.

«We are ninjas. None of us have a choice».


End file.
